Alwalton River Nene

Alwalton can be found just off the A1, near to the Lynchwood business park and the East of England showground.

The walk begins on Church Street, Alwalton. If you drive into Alwalton, pass turn down Church Street by the Cuckoo Inn, drive past the church, and then take the right turn by the fork in the road into the car park by the community centre which is free.
Keeping your dog on the lead, walk out of the car park the way you drove in, and cross the road, turning down Mill Lane (which was the left fork as you were driving to the car park). Admire the trees and expensive properties as you walk down this prestigious street, following it as it bends round and leads to a gate with woodland behind.
Go through the gate, into the woodland area. I tend to let my dog off the lead at this point. In this area there is a stream, and a murky offshoot of the Nene which if your dog likes swimming will make them filthy!


Follow the track around the water, and head up towards the bridge and cross over. Head down the next narrow track with water both sides to the lock, and cross over, passing through a gate into the meadow.



Walk on the worn area, bearing straight across the field (slightly to the left) towards the bridge and trees on the far side.

Upon reaching the bridge, cross it, and briefly turn left to the shallow water/rapids area if your dog enjoys a swim. This is a great place to throw sticks into the river as the current takes them down stream for your dog to swim after in a relatively safe environment.
When you’re ready to move on, go to the right hand side of the bridge, and cross the stile. Follow the worn grass along the edge of the winding river until you reach a small wooded area. Pass through the gate and head towards the wooden bridge featured in the picture above. Cross this with care as it can be slippery when wet.
On the other side of the bridge take a right turn alongside the river. This section of the walk also provides some great swimming areas for your dog, and some great places to stop and have a picnic. At this stage also note the fabulous gardens of some of the large houses overlooking the area.

Follow the grass across to the main path of the River Nene to your left. Follow this around the edge of the meadow until you are back at the lock. Pass through the gate, over the bridge and lock, and walk back down the narrow track to the murky wooded area at the start of the walk. Head back up Mill Lane, to the car park.

There are numerous variations to this walk which will be covered in later issues, but in brief include:
• After the fast running river past (pictured on the left), head towards the old mill and walk up the road to Castor and the Nene Valley Railway
• Extend your walk by taking the other fork in the road at Alwalton and heading down the public footpath to walk alongisde the bottom of the large gardens overlooking the area• After crossing the wooden bridge picture above take a left and head in that direction before turning round and walking the rest of the route.